Peyton Watson's stats without Nikola Jokic are great news for Cavaliers fans

Peyton Watson's stats without Nikola Jokic are great news for Cavaliers fans originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cavaliers parted ways with forward Max Strus in a trade Wednesday night, getting back Peyton Watson, an exciting young forward who had a breakout year this past season.

Watson's role grew during his time in Denver, but what should really excite Cavs fans is his stats from when he wasn't playing with Nikola Jokic.

StatMuse posted on social media Watson's stats from last season when he didn't play with former MVP Nikola Jokic:

• 22.1 PPG
• 5.8 RPG
• 1.1 SPG
• 1.5 BPG
• 2.3 3PM
• 44.3 3P%

In the 54 games Watson played last season, he averaged 14.6 points in 29.6 minutes.

MORE: Nuggets in talks with six-time All-Star to be Peyton Watson replacement

Whether you look at his numbers for the whole season or when he played, getting more opportunities when Jokic was out, it's encouraging to see the strides he's made in the past couple of seasons.

The Cavs have now inserted themselves into the group of contenders in the East, with a solid core now of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Peyton Watson and we assume James Harden, once he eventually re-signs.

The talk of the offseason for a while was about LeBron James potentially returning to Cleveland, but Watson is a nice addition that's also better for them long-term.

MORE: Russell Westbrook turned down offer from Eastern Conference team to play in 2026-27 season

Watson's new contract is worth $88 million over 4 years ($22 AAV), which is a solid deal for Cleveland and an upgrade from Strus.

There will be a lot of other teams looking to stay competitive in the East, but the Cavs will certainly be one of them now, after this recent trade acquisition.

• Thunder send message to teams interested in trading for Chet Holmgren
• Why Spurs' Victor Wembanyama made $51 million sacrifice on contract extension
• Lakers commitment to Walker Kessler could be costly for this key reason
• Jordan Clarkson's contract will help the Knicks avoid a major penalty
• LeBron James will move up the all-time rankings in these 4 stats during 2026-27 NBA season